(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an assembly that will launch a missile or other unmanned aerial vehicles and more specifically to a multi-part launch capsule with projecting lobes along the length of the capsule in which the lobes are capable of encompassing the fixed wings of a missile or the fixed wings of other unmanned aerial vehicles.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
It is generally known in the art that launch capsules are cylindrically shaped with the length of the cylinder being longer than the length of the payload of a missile or unmanned aerial vehicle. As such, known launch capsule construction requires very long capsules with an inside diameter that is larger than the tip-to-tip wingspan of the payload. Although launch capsules that are slightly longer than the vertical payload length can be made buoyant, the length over the diameter ratio is often too low to allow a stable ascent when the capsule is launched from an underwater structure.
Adding fins to the outside of the launch capsule compensates the length to diameter ratio and thereby enhances a stable ascent of the capsule. However, by adding fins to the capsule or by increasing the overall length of the capsule, the ability to stack multiple capsules either side-by-side or vertically is limited.
An improvement to the structure of existing launch capsules would be the ability to increase the storing or stacking numbers of multiple launch capsules while maintaining or enhancing the stability of the capsules during a buoyant ascent. The stability of the launch capsule should not require the addition of fins to the capsule and should not require an increase in the length of the capsule.
An additional improvement to the formation of launch capsules would be the use of materials that are more cost-effective and are more environmentally conscious than those materials presently used in the formation of launch capsules.